A Knight in Shining Darkness
by OrigamiDragon
Summary: Maven, a villager of Kakariko village, is anything but special. She has no gift. Or so she believed. The moment she sets foot outside her village, she discovers her deepest secret: her the ability to wield magic. After Link rescues her from a band of dark creatures, she is taken to Hyrule Castle and sent on an adventure to uncover the mysteries of Hyrule, love, and herself.
1. Chapter 1

Who am I? I was given the name Maven at birth, but that's not important to me. I have walked these rocky lands for a little over 18 years. Kakariko Village, is the only place I've ever known. The only place that I can call home. But still, these things are unimportant to me too.

What am I? That has always been a mystery to me and to everyone else too. You see, every single person has something special—something that is dear to them and sets them apart from all the others. Except one: me.

I've never had a gift like everyone else. Some of the women in the village are talented weavers or caretakers. Some of the men are strong warriors or cattle herders. Unlike them, I can't weave a basket or take care of a child if my life depended on it. I guess you could say that my extraordinary ability is being absolutely ordinary. And the sad part is that all the villagers pity me for it. I can see by the stares that they give me that they look down upon me like I'm a dying infant. I hate being looked at that way.

So, every morning, I run up to Death Mountain and visit the Gorons to escape from the villagers. They seem to be the only creatures to understand me. Since I have no specialty, I don't work. I just spend the majority of the day talking with them and watching them wrestle. Their people are quite the lively type. I really do enjoy their company. And although I'm constantly feeling useless, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. Where there's a lack of uniqueness in me, I have something even better.

_Freedom_.

I have freedom. Something like that is too valuable to give up. It's more valuable than any amount of rupees. Without freedom, my life would have no definition. I can do whatever I please whenever I want. I have no obligations or duties to worry about. Just days full of laughter and good times. So as I sit here, chatting with the Gorons, I remember how wonderful my life is, and how thankful I am to be me.

"Maven."

I shake my head, sending my thoughts drifting into the distant parts of my mind. "Yeah?"

"Did you see that?"

Tengoro was leaning back on his elbows and gave me a wide grin. I guess I wasn't paying attention. Passed him, in the middle of the room, were too Gorons going head-to-head in a wrestling match. Returning my gaze to him, I replied, "No."

He sighed. "Oh come on! That was a perfect hit!" His hearty laugh filled the room and he shook with mirth. But upon seeing my blank expression, he started to quiet down. "Now don't tell me you're starting to think about it again."

"What I'm thinking isn't your concern," I snapped. Realizing what I had said, I softened my gaze and retried my approach. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I'm glad you care about me. It's just that…"

"Just what?" Tengoro sat up and examined me carefully.

I couldn't hold his gaze for long. Instead, I focused an uneven rupture in the dirt floor. "Nevermind. It wasn't important anyways."

"You're wrong. It is important." He tapped a thick, rocky finger to his temple. "I know these things."

"Fine, fine. I've been caught red-handed," I surrendered.

He just gave me a look of exasperation. I knew exactly what he was thinking. When he recited the same words he always told me, I could almost repeat them in my head perfectly.

"Out there, beyond this mountain and Kakariko village, you know what can happen. There are dark creatures lurking in every corner, just ready to obliterate anything in their way. I couldn't stand seeing you hurt, and I know that if you leave here, you won't have a very big chance of returning. There's no way that you can hold your own against one of them." He finished with a hard punch to the ground. There was no denying it: he was serious.

I balled up my fists and slammed them into the ground beside Tengoro, swallowing the pain as they hit the rocks. Dirt flew up in little clouds at the impact. "That doesn't matter! What if I want to see what's beyond the gates? To see Hyrule Castle up close rather than from the top of this mountain. To talk to people who might understand me!"

"_We_ understand you," he said motioning to all the other Gorons, who were now looking in our direction.

"But I want more than this. I want to see Hyrule, every corner of it."

I stood up and started to leave, only to be stopped by a large hand. Trying to pry him off was useless. He was much too strong. Most Gorons often were. So I just ceased my struggling and returned to a sitting position.

"This won't turn out the way you think it will," he warned.

"But what if it does? What if I find my gift? My talent! Then I can finally realize why I was born!" I objected.

"You were born for a great reason. You're a wonderful person, no matter whether you have a specialty or not."

"Having a specialty is the sole purpose of our lives. I have nothing, and therefore, no purpose," I said, continuing to argue. I gathered the hem of my orange tunic in my fists like I always did when I was frustrated.

Tengoro rubbed my head. "Haven't you said that you value yourself?"

"I do! But I'm not enough!"

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, little one. You're just fine. Now come on, let's watch the fight. It's a good one, and I don't want to miss it!" he replied cheerfully.

"Not right now," I muttered.

"Listen, Maven." He gave me a sad smile. "I know that I can't stop you from leaving, but don't ignore my advice. Remember that what I say is true. There is evil out there that you can't even imagine. Evil that only few can defeat," he told me.

_Evil that only few can defeat._

I knew, of course, who he was talking about. The chosen one, Link, had come here to rescue his fellow villagers from the Ordona Province. He had rid our village of the shadow beasts and defeated the infectious monster that had possessed the Goron's leader, Darbus. I had personally witnessed him save our village. In fact, one of the villagers and a close friend to my father, Renado, had even taken care of the Ordon children that our hero had so desperately sought. But it wasn't likely he would be coming back again.

"I know you mean well—believe me I do—, but I'm tired of being frowned upon for something that I can't control. The only way I can live on is if I grow and change. That isn't going to happen if I stay cooped up here," I finally said. Resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, I continued with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll come to visit you plenty of times. That's a promise. If there's anything I'm good at, it's keeping promises." Then without another word, I stood and headed for the door.

Proceeding out the door gave me a weird feeling. For the first time, I wasn't leaving with a plan to come back tomorrow. This was the last time I'd see my dear friends in quite a while. But I had been dreaming of this all my life, and I couldn't give it up for just a few people. I had to do this. So I stepped through the threshold and out into cool mountain air.

—

The faint sounds of laughing children emanated from outside. I tried to block them out and laid back in my rocking chair. I tried to fall asleep, but my body wouldn't let me. As hard as I fought for the constant desire to sleep, I just couldn't win. To pass the time, I sat up and watched the children play outside, while I fidgeted with my beaded necklace and bracelets. But I'm not the patient type. Soon, I got up and headed outside to walk around the village. Maybe I could stop by the general store.

The moment I stepped outside, the bright sun filled my vision, and I rubbed my eyes. As soon as they adjusted, I looked around to see the village I was so familiar with. The children ran down the street fighting with sticks and anything they could find. All the way down to the left was the sacred spring where the light spirit, Eldin, resided. In the other direction were the shops and the path to Death Mountain. As I stared off into the distance, I was knocked to the ground by a hard force.

"Hey, Maven! Watch it!" a tiny, high-pitched voice cried above me.

Rubbing my forehead, I looked up to see a cluster of kids surrounding me, the one who spoke before in the front. He stared me down angrily, and the others followed by giving me an annoyed glare as I pulled myself to my feet, brushing the dirt off my already brown pants.

"I could say the same for you. You kids shouldn't be running around in the street," I retorted.

"You—" the boy started.

"Quit it, Barris! She's the odd one, remember?" the girl beside him murmured.

"That doesn't make no difference!" he snapped.

"Sure it does. Give her a break, alright. After all she's a bit…" The girl pointed her finger to her head and swirled it around in a couple small circles. The other kids giggled and ran off, continuing their game as they went.

"I'm not crazy!" I shouted after them, shaking a fist in the air.

They just ignored me and laughed even harder. It was no use chasing after them. What could I possibly get from scolding a few children? It's not like they would listen to me anyways. I headed down to the street in the opposite direction, towards the general store. I hurried up the steps to the shop and entered. Inside, there was a nice fire lit in the corner and a woman sat behind the counter. Beyond her were shelves filled with all sorts of items. As I approached her, she looked up from whatever she was doing and smiled.

"Oh, Maven! How nice it is to see you! What do you need?"

I browsed the shelf behind her and noticed a bottle filled with a crimson liquid. I recognized them as potions. Those were always helpful to travelers who stopped by, but never me. But who knew? Maybe I would need it now. I _am_ planning to leave the village today. Something like that might come in handy.

"What's that potion called?" I asked, pointing towards the bottle.

The woman raised her eyebrows. "That? That's a health potion. It's very useful when you're injured and quite far from a place to properly heal. But I must ask, why would you need something like that?"

"Oh, I just thought it might be useful," I told her, skipping the part about leaving. I didn't like to lie, but then again, it wasn't exactly a lie. I truly did believe I would need it, if Tengoro's stories were as true as he made them to be.

Her suspicious gaze didn't leave my face, but she reluctantly turned to take the potion off the shelf. Setting it down the counter, she said, "It costs 60 rupees." She raised her eyebrows even higher, to the point that I thought it was almost impossible. "Think a girl like you can afford that?"

I withdrew a small wallet from my pocket and reached inside. As I pulled my hand out with a purple rupee and a yellow one, her eyes widened in shock. Quickly, she snatched the money from my hand and examined them to see if they were authentic.

"Where did you get these rupees? I thought you didn't work?" she breathlessly asked me.

"I get my share." She didn't have to know all the details. It wasn't that complicated, actually. I just happen to be pretty lucky when it comes to betting which Goron would win a wrestling match.

No more words were exchanged between us, so I happily stashed the bottle and my wallet in my pockets and left. Down the road, I could see the gate that lead to the lands beyond. Surveying the area around me, it appeared that no one was watching, so I casually—but quickly—walked over to the gate. It was an intimidating mess of metal bars that loomed over me. Where the two sides of gate met hung a massive lock. There was no breaking through that thing. I would need a key if I ever wanted to leave this place.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? Only soldiers are allowed to leave!"

I spun around and searched frantically for the place the voice was coming from.

"Up here, idiot!" the voice shouted.

Looking up, I could barely make out the shape of a man on top of the watchtower. That's right! I had completely forgotten the watchtower. It was impossible to escape with that cursed man watching everything from above!

"Yeah, that's right! Now I know you wanna go sightseeing or whatever, but I don't want you running home crying to your mama because you saw a scary monster. That ain't my problem. But guess who has to suffer for your mistake? Me! Yup, I have to beg forgiveness from your family for letting you through that gate. It ain't fun! So don't think you're gonna get passed there," he cried.

He clearly wasn't the friendly type. I had seen him a many times passing by—after all, our village isn't that big—, but he had always seemed like a nice person. So seeing him like this didn't seem right.

Knowing that his gift was incredible hearing and vision, I called up to him, "My apologies, I didn't realize what I was doing!" I tried to seem as nice as possible to avoid provoking him.

"Yeah, yeah..." The rest was inaudible. He just walked off, out of sight from anyone below.

As soon as he was gone, I cursed silently to myself. I was so close! The only thing stopping me was that man and these damned bars! But I wouldn't be able to get through without a key. What's worse, I had no idea where something like that could be. I tried to think of any possible candidates that could hold the key.

The kids? No. Who would trust a group of rowdy kids to keep a key? They would lose it too easily.

What about the general store? It wasn't completely impossible, but I doubted that she'd have it. Her store wasn't anywhere near either one of the gates.

The watchman? I pondered what he had said for a moment.

_I have to beg forgiveness from your family for letting you through that gate._

He clearly said that he was able to let people though the gate! He probably has the key! But there was no way to get it at the moment. Not while he was awake. Nightfall would have to come first. That way, I could take the key and escape without him knowing. With a plan in my mind, all I had to do now was wait._  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Moonlight filtered in through the window, and I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. I was tired from fighting off sleep, but now wasn't to give up and lie down. So I pushed myself off my bed and grabbed my satchel off my bedpost. Pushing my bedroom door open caused a loud creaking noise, making me flinch. I froze and waited for someone to investigate where the sound had come from, but no one did. My family wasn't a very alert bunch of people.

I slipped out into the hallway and crept to the living room. Every footstep sent chills up my spine. There was no hiding it. I was terrified of what I was about to do. In the past, I had provoked some trouble in the village, but I had never gone as far as to steal something. But if my plan succeeds, I'll be far away from here by the time they find out.

Once I had put my shoes on, I exited my little house, making sure to close the door as quietly as possible. Outside, the air felt nice and cool on my skin, and I tipped my head back to gaze up at the moon. Everything its light touched was a beautiful, glowing blue. Suddenly, I heard a couple of pebbles tumble down, and they landed by my feet. Looking upwards, I could barely make out the shape of a person.

It was the watchman. I cursed silently to myself. I should've known that he was going to stay up to watch the village. Just because it was night, doesn't mean that everyone is asleep. They had to watch for any trouble that might be lurking in the shadows. Like me. Luckily, I was hidden right beneath them, one of the only places they couldn't see, unless they peered over the edge and below.

I dashed from shadow to shadow as I approached the watchtower. The only way that I could get up there undiscovered was to enter through Barnes's bomb shop. I stepped up to the porch and tried the door. I could be unlocked. Twisting the doorknob, I easily pulled the door open. Of course it was open. Barnes was just the type of person to be dumb enough to forget to lock the door.

Inside, there was no light except for the moonlight through the windows. Luckily, I could just barely see the outlines of the furniture. Ahead of me was the counter that he sold his bombs at, and to the left, I could see a glint of shiny metal steps and I knew that was my ticket up to the watchtower. I crept upstairs to find a table covered with all sorts of tools and materials. He must be in the middle of creating a new line-up of bombs.

Suddenly, I froze at the sound of one loud snore. Behind me, Barnes was sleeping on a mattress, and the exit to the rooftop was right above him. A ladder led up to the door, but it seemed a little unstable. It wasn't attached to the bed at all. It seemed to just lean against the posts for support. Everything about it screamed danger. Danger of getting caught, that is. I couldn't risk that.

Right when I was about to leave to find another way up, my foot banged against the table. Barnes snorted loudly and I heard his wooden bed creak.

"Who-who's there?" he stuttered.

My body relaxed a bit. He couldn't see me. I suppose he didn't have very good eyesight, but I was still fairly close to him. I wanted to move, but I was afraid that if I did, he would hear me for sure. The only option was for me to stay perfectly still and hope that he wouldn't turn on any light. Soon, I could hear his bed creak once again, and I knew he had laid back down. But he wasn't asleep. I would just have to wait.

Seconds turned to minutes which eventually led up to an hour. By then, I was sure he had fallen asleep when the quiet breathing and a single snore broke the silence. I tiptoed over to the ladder, my muscles aching after freezing like a statue for so long. A silently as possible, I ascended the ladder and headed out, once again, into the cool night air.

I clambered up the steps to the dirt road as quickly—but quietly—as I could. Because of my slip up back in the bomb shop, I had lost an hour of my time and it was now early morning. But there was still no sun in sight, so I wasn't too nervous. I just hoped I'd be able to sneak out before those first rays of light.

Ahead was the old bomb storage. Well, it's ruins, anyways. Link may be a hero, but in this case, he hadn't been too careful, and the whole building blew up. All that was left were pieces of stone and rubble. Poor Barnes had to start all the way over with no materials or bombs at all. What a shame. But that had been a couple years ago. Now he was back in business.

I rounded the corner, passed the storage ruins, and up the next pathway. To avoid the watchful gaze of the guard, I clung to the wall of the mountain above. The shadows provided good cover, and soon, I had made it all the way to the watchtower's entrance. Trying the doorknob, I sighed in dismay as it refused to twist. Of course it would be locked. The watchmen were much smarter than Barnes.

"There must be another way in," I breathed out.

The walls were impossible to climb, for there were no footholds. Nothing but shrubs surrounded the area, so there was no way I could break the doorknob. But even if there was, it would probably alert someone. So there had to be some sort of second entrance besides this one. No windows, no passageways, but…

My eyes landed on a small hole in the ground beside the door. It seemed big enough for someone very small. It was about the size of a child or a dog of some sort. Luckily for me, I was born with a thin frame. There was a chance that I could fit inside. Bending down, I inspected the hole. It curved downwards and then upwards again. At the end, I could see a sliver of light. It _must_ lead inside. I slowly entered head and arms first, and crawled on my stomach deeper down. Once I was curled up inside, I peered out into the room.

Lanterns illuminated the room, but no one seemed to be inside, besides a watchman who was asleep on a bed in the far corner of the room. It looked like a one-room home. There was a ladder leading to the second floor, two small beds, a table with two chairs on opposite sides, a miniature kitchen, and a dresser that the two watchman probably shared. Nothing decorative though. Just a cramped little living space. Did they live up here? I don't know if I would enjoy this job much if this is what they lived like, but someone had to do it.

_Now where are you, key…_

I picked through the dresser first, pulling open every single drawer. Most of the drawers contained garments of different sorts, no keys or devices to be found. I shut them as gently as possible to avoid making too much noise and headed over to the table. There wasn't much on it. The top was covered with a brightly colored tablecloth and there were dirty plates on the table. I carefully sifted through them, before placing them on the floor. Then, I lifted the tablecloth, hoping it would be there. But of course, it wasn't. I dropped it and shrugged my shoulders. After checking the kitchen, I began to lose hope. I didn't have a single clue to where it was, and I was running out of time.

"Rindel! Wake up! My shift's over now!"

It was the other watchman! I had completely forgotten about him! I had to find a hiding spot before I was caught!

The man in the bed stirred, and my eyes shot to the space underneath him. I dashed over to the bed and bent down into a crawling position. I managed to squeeze underneath the bed just as I heard someone climbing down the rungs of the ladder above.

"Rindel, wake up, you lazy bastard!" I heard him cry again, this time on the bottom floor. A pair of feet came into view as the man strolled up to the bed. I controlled my breaths into short little puffs so that I didn't breathe too loudly.

"Huh?" The bed squeaked above me as the man woke up.

"It's your shift!"

"Oh, already?"

"Yes! Come on! Up, up!"

I let the two bicker. I could tell this was going to last a while. Lifting my palms to my eyes, I made a face of disgust. They were coated in light gray dust. I guess the one thing they didn't have, was a broom. I wiped my hands on my tunic, leaving a smeared handprint on the fabric. As I rested my head on my hands, I noticed a discolored floorboard in front of me. It was a lighter brown than the others. What was that doing there?

A sudden curiosity took hold of me, and I couldn't resist. Shoving my fingers in between the floorboards, I tried to pry it off. Inch by inch, it slowly detached from the floor. Once it was halfway off, I began to pull a bit harder. The board lifted away even more, and a little shimmering object protruded out of the dark hole. Looking closer, I recognized it as a key.

_The key! I had finally found it! Now all I had to do was escape the watchtower and open the gates. Then I would be free!_

I reached in to grab the key. The moment my fingers were millimeters away from the key, a loud ripping and groaning sound came from beneath me, and the wooden board I was holding snapped. The two watchmen ceased their fighting and all was still.

"What the…" Rindel started.

"It must've come from around here. Let me check it out," the other said.

I squeezed my eyes shut and grimaced. I was so close! That was such a stupid and careless mistake! Now I was going to be caught and punished for sure! I watched as the legs next to the bed bent and his knees came into view. Then a waist, a torso, a neck, a head…

A pair of eyes.

"Intruder!" he cried.

I shrieked as he grabbed my arms and yanked me out from beneath the bed. The other one pulled me up to my feet, and together, they drag her towards the door. I flail my arms and legs, attempting to get a couple of good hits in, but with my back facing them, it was impossible. A muscular arm wrapped around my neck and I choked in surprise, gasping for air.

An agonizing heat prickled the skin on the back of my right hand. I cried out in pain as I bit my lip, causing blood to trickle out of a fresh cut. I didn't notice it at all compared to the searing burn in my hand. I was in too much pain to even move! I let out a cry, hoping to force the agony away. But nothing seemed to help. Instead, the pain grew more and more intense. Then, when it seemed that the pain had reached its peak, it plummeted down and down. The heat subsided and I realized that I could once again have control over myself. Forcing my head to look down, I saw a strange symbol right were the pain was. It was a mark with three triangles forming one large one. It glowed with a golden light, especially the triangle on top. That one seemed to stand out the most. I had never thought that was possible! What did that symbol mean?

As if someone had just filled me with new energy, I flung the watchman's arm off me and kicked the other in the stomach. While they were reeling over in shock and pain, I turned to the bed where the key sat untouched. But instead of dashing over to it, my body forcefully charged into the door. I cringed as I neared it, but instead of bouncing off it, the door popped off its hinges and flew a couple of feet away. By now, the two guards were up again and desperately pursuing me out the door. I raced down the path, but they were gaining on me quickly. There were going to catch me! And this time, I wouldn't escape. But then, I did the unthinkable.

Just when I could almost feel their breath warming my neck, I flung myself to the left, off the pathway. I sailed over Barnes's shop and above the road. The wind screamed in my ears, and the force glued my limbs to my body. I tumbled down and down, my body twisting this way and that. The ground seemed to be speeding at me, not the other way around. The possessive force that caused me to fight off the watchmen kicked in again, and my arms stretched outwards, towards the hard dirt. I closed my eyes, and waited for the end as I breathed in my last breath.

_Boom!_

I slammed into the ground, but instead of breaking my body and perishing, I landed in a crouching position with one arm steadying myself. The energy left my body, and a fierce trembling replaced it. Up above, I could see the two watchmen staring at me with their jaws hanging open. I assumed I was giving them the same look as well. I mean, I was alive! _How_ was I alive?

Pulling myself to a standing position, I walk the final stretch to the gates, not looking back once. A conscience in my head told me that I didn't need the key. It was right, too. I gripped the metal bars in one hand and wrenched the lock off easily. It clattered to the ground as I marched out of the village.

The land beyond that point was unfamiliar to me. I headed down a passage between two giant boulders. Shortly, the passage widened and before me laid a massive, green field. There was nothing but grass. On the far side, I could see the hazy outline of a stone bridge.

This was it. This is what I had dreamt of. I stepped out onto the soft grass. It brushed against my ankles with each step I took, and it felt nice. But my moment of peace came to an abrupt end when my knees began to shake and I fell to the ground. My arms shot out for support and they bent under my weight. I was too weak to travel, but I couldn't go back. Not after what just happened. But I couldn't just spend the night here either. I needed to find a shelter of some sort. Otherwise, the villagers would come looking for me. Or something worse.

Right on cue, I high-pitched cry sounded from somewhere ahead of me. Looking up, I saw about five creatures approaching me. They were all dark blue with grayish-white hair tied back. The only garments they wore were dirty brown pants and shoes. They had sharp ears that protruded from their heads like knives and carried sacks on their belts. Each one of them carried a club with a sharp point on the end. I knew they meant trouble.

I searched for the energy that had saved me earlier, but it was nowhere to be found. A moan escaped my lips, and I rolled over onto my back. My vision focused and blurred as they got closer and closer. Soon, they were looming over me. The closest one let out another cry and raised its club above its head, the point facing me. All parts of my body refused to move, so I just surrendered and let the blackness swallow me.


	3. Chapter 3

Muffled sounds emanated from all around me, and my eyes opened to a bright room. Three figures stood around me, one in front of me and two on each sides. My vision was too clouded and blurry to see any defining features or faces, so I could only hope I was in good hands. I couldn't understand a word they were saying, just that two of them were bickering about something. Soon, my senses began to sharpen as I was drawn out of my sleepy haze.

Judging by the large barrels with taps attached to them, and soldiers laughing at tables with metal mugs in their hands, I assumed I was in a bar. To my right was another table, and behind it was a little man in white carrying a stack of mail and muttering to himself. My attention snapped back to the three figures around me at the sound of their voices.

"But, Link, her hand!"

"That doesn't mean a thing to me. We can't choose what she—"

"Hey! You two, stop arguing already! She's waking up, you know!"

All three stopped to watch my eyes focused on the first face I could find. It was a boy who was about 17 years of age, like me. He had bright blue eyes that seemed to hold the world within them, golden hair that fell over his forehead, and pointed ears with blue cuffs on either one. I raised a hand to my head, concealing my pointed ears behind my hair. I thought I had been the only one with ears like that.

_Strange. Where have I seen this boy before?_

I probed my mind for some memory of him. After a moment of searching, I came to a realization. One of the others had called him Link! Could it be…?

"You," I said, pointing a finger at him, "I know you."

"Me?" he asked.

"You're the hero of legend, aren't you? The one who saved my home, Kakariko Village, from the twilight beasts."

"Yes, that was me," he said, "But, you…I don't remember seeing you there."

"Well I—"

I was interrupted by a large woman with a long, black skirt and coat that exposed her chest. Her light brown hair was pulled back to reveal a pair of pointed ears as well.

"How could you forget someone as important as her? You two are practically connected!" she scolded Link with a nudge. Then leaning in, cupping her mouth with one hand, she whispered something so quiet into his ear that I had to strain to hear. "Good luck getting out of this one, Link."

"Oh, uh, my apologies," was all he could say to me. His cheeks reddened as he rubbed the back of his neck and let out a nervous laugh. The woman just rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

"But now that you're here, we must visit Hyrule Castle. We've already lost 2 weeks of our time, and we can't afford to use it leisurely," Link explained.

"2 weeks?" I asked in shock, my eyes widening as I sat up.

"Yes, 2 weeks. Which is plenty of time to recover," he confirmed.

He was about to take my hand when the younger girl stopped him. She shook her head as she said, "Link, she's not quite ready yet. She just woke up, so she's still weak. Just wait a little while."

He hesitated a bit before pulling his hand away.

"Alright, Ilia. I'll wait," he surrendered, "But tomorrow we _must_ see Princess Zelda."

"That's fine by me," the woman said, heading over to a counter on the other side of the bar, "Anything to get the two of you to quit bickering."

Link dismissed her comment and pulled a stool to the side of my bed, resting his hands on the edge of his seat. He looked to Ilia and the other woman, who had returned with a glass of water. She handed it to me with a smile.

"The name's Telma, honey. Just call if you need anything." She chuckled and winked as she headed over to the group of soldiers.

I nodded to her in gratitude as I accepted the water and took a sip. Link watched me drink, and as soon the glass left my lips, he began to speak.

"Since we have a day until we leave here, I suppose I can tell you why you're needed," Link started. When I didn't say anything, he continued, "It started about a month ago. Zelda had first seen it at a distance, from the safety of her room. But the signs of growing darkness became more apparent as time passed. When she informed me of this, we both knew that whatever was coming would be powerful. Maybe powerful enough to defeat me and destroy all of Hyrule. Since Ganon had died, a new being adorning the Triforce of Power must arise. And after a long, hard search, we found you. You must be the one to accompany me on our quest to stop this oncoming darkness."

My mouth opened to say something, but nothing came. I couldn't think of a single thing to say. As calm as I tried to come off as, I felt ill from this sudden news. Ilia noticed my expression of surprise, and quickly snatched the glass of water from me before I lost my grip.

"Look what you've done, Link. You've scared the poor girl out of her wits," she scolded.

I shook my head. "No, don't worry about me. I'm fine."

"Whether you think you're fine or not doesn't matter to me. The only thing I care about at the moment is that you get some rest. It'll give you some time to think things over," she said in a motherly tone.

I nodded and laid back down. Closing my eyes, I heard her soft footsteps grow fainter as she left. The sound of a stool grinding against the wooden floor drowned out all the other noises, making me crinkle my nose in annoyance. Before I could get up to protest, I felt small bursts of air tickle my ears.

"Don't worry too much about what I told you," Link whispered, "Believe me, I was just as afraid as you when I was first dragged into the fight against the darkness. I didn't know what was out there, or what I was going to face. I was just an inexperienced little boy in a world of evil that was always stalking me."

"How is this making me feel _better_?" I asked.

"But soon," he continued, ignoring my comment, "you'll understand what it takes to forget about the danger, and sacrifice yourself for the land and people you love."

Opening my eyes, I saw him staring at me with this knowing in his eyes that wasn't there before. He was serious. He had gone through so much, during all the battles he fought. It must've been hard.

"You know what," he said, lightening his tone a little bit, "let's just give that a rest. You don't mind if I ask you a question, right?"

I shook my head in a silent response.

"I never asked you for your name," he said, "I know you know that mine's Link, but what about yours? The only thing I know about you is that you have the Triforce of Power. Other than that, we might as well be from different realms."

"Maven," I replied.

His lips curled up into a smile, and he patted my shoulder.

"A perfect name for a heroine."

Then, without another word, he walked off. Once again, my eyelids slid shut, and I let out a sigh, my muscles relaxing. Being in the presence of someone who understood what I felt put me in a content mood. Before, no one could ever understand me. Neither the Gorons nor my family could possibly know what it felt like to be me, no matter how hard they tried. But with Link, I had no doubt that he knew what I was going through. As he said himself, he had been through the same thing.

It was nice to fall asleep so happy, knowing that tomorrow would be a fresh start. It would be the beginning of a new dawn. My destiny was to save Hyrule, and I had to accept that. So I did. I accepted it, and drifted off to sleep dreaming of what lay ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

I breathe in the scent of fresh pine embrace the cool air as it brushes my skin. The trees tower over me like gods as I pass by them. The occasional croak of a frog or a rustle in the foliage didn't bother me at all. In fact, it made me feel at peace. No one seemed to be there except me, and that was something that I certainly didn't have a problem with. I'd rather be alone to enjoy the quiet scenery.

The noise of a rushing river came into earshot, and soon, I could barely see it behind a cluster of pines. I slowly made my way over to it and bent down to touch it's cool surface. Water ran quickly past my fingers, spraying a little mist on my arms and face. My reflection looked distorted in the rushing water, but it was clear enough to see that I wasn't alone anymore.

Now, a man stood beside me in the water. Whirling around, there didn't seem to be any man in sight, but when I looked back at my reflection, he was still there. He had long silver hair and pale skin and wore a long green robe with intricate silver swirls decorating it. Reaching up, he delicately placed a hand on my shoulder.

Even though he was only there inside the river, I could still feel his touch on my shoulder. Taking a closer look at the river, I noticed that his hand was adorned with five rings, one on each finger. They all emitted a soft, pulsing glow.

"Maven."

The man spoke loud and clear, and it felt like he was speaking right in my ears—like he was in my head. I looked at the figure, unsure what to say.

"Yes? That's my name," I said timidly.

"Maven, Heroine of the Goddesses, it is time," he said regally.

"Time?" I asked confused, "Time for what?"

"The Goddesses have chosen you for a reason. The twilight is spreading across Hyrule as we speak, as I'm sure you already know. But time is of the essence, and the darkness is coming much faster than the Goddesses could have ever predicted."

"What? But Link made it seem like it wasn't an immediate threat. After all, it took about a month for the twilight to spread, and no one in Hyrule is even aware of it yet," I said, raising my voice in concern.

"The Hero was wrong. You haven't much time to prepare, so you must stop them as soon as possible, before the twilight completely corrupts Hyrule. Otherwise, all will be lost forever in the darkness," he warned.

I twiddled my thumbs in anxiety. All this talk of the twilight was making me nervous. The last time they had invaded Hyrule, I was too much of a coward to even leave my house. How was I supposed to fight off a whole army of them if I was just a gutless coward?

"Then how do we stop them?"

"You must search for the three powerful objects sent down to Hyrule by the Goddesses. Each one lies in a distant land, and it will take courage and strength to retrieve them," he said. Then, straightening his back and lifting his chin to stare off into the distance, he recited, "One of which you seek hides in a lonely mansion atop a snowy mountain, its icy slopes and fierce blizzards a challenge for anyone to fight through. The next lies high among the clouds, where birds of many colors soar above their floating city. The final object is shrouded in darkness and rests deep within a dormant land that isn't so different from our realm."

He paused for a moment, and I found myself staring into his cold, blue eyes. Breaking his gaze, he said forcefully, "Now, go! Fight the twilight!"

It was as if he had blasted me with an extremely powerful torrent of wind. I was knocked off my feet onto the hard ground and had just enough time to look back into the river before seeing the man disappear.

—

A warm liquid dripped down onto my eyelid, causing me to immediately open my eyes. Sitting up, I noticed that I was sweating like I was in the center of Death Mountain. I wiped the sweat off my face and looked around. Early morning light streamed in through the windows and the bar was completely empty, except for one person. Link, who was sitting on a stool by the bar, noticed that I had awoken and made his way over to me.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, still a bit shaken from my dream.

"Good. So you're well rested," he said as he helped me out of bed and walked towards the door, "But now we must head to the castle as soon as possible."

"But…" I wanted to tell Link about my dream. No matter how ridiculous is seemed, there were much stranger things going on. But something within me told me that it wouldn't be wise to share my secret. Perhaps he wouldn't believe me. What that man had told me was completely different from what Link believed, and something told me Link wouldn't trust a girl without the experience of ever embarking on a single quest.

"What?" He stopped and looked back at me.

I bit my lip. "I've never been in the presence of royalty before, and I'm not sure what to say," I lied. I couldn't do it.

"That's what you're worried about?" he asked with a chuckle, "Don't worry, Maven. Zelda understands perfectly well that you'll be confused. I was when I first met her."

"You sound like my father," I smirked.

"Well then he must be a wonderful man," he said.

"Don't flatter yourself," I replied.

"Right," he murmured. Then swinging the door open, he announced, "Come! We've got a princess to meet, and we don't want to keep her waiting."

"Alright, alright," I said, jogging outside.

Outside the bar, I could hear shouts of children and small talk passing by. On the main street, people were already milling around and going about their daily business. Women were carrying baskets and walking from booth to booth, and soldiers were patrolling up and down the streets. Children were chasing each other all around and occasionally shrieking in joy. Men in carts pulled by cattle yelled at them to move out of the way, and mothers grabbed their children in response. I just stood back to watch the busy scene play out.

"This way," Link beckoned me across the street and into a smaller one.

I followed him down multiple streets, passing by cramped houses and shops. It wasn't until I saw a man slouched against a wall staring us down that I noticed almost everyone —women, men, and children alike—were watching us as we passed by. Some stared with admiration, while others stole quick glances before hesitantly moving by. Suddenly, two girls about my age approached Link with huge smiles on their faces.

"Link!" the one with blonde curly hair tied up in pigtails cried, "You're back in Castle Town!"

The other girl with short, light brown hair reached out and hugged his arm. "We missed you! Where have you been?"

"I've been, uh, traveling across Hyrule," he stammered.

"Across Hyrule?" the blonde one squeaked, "Oh no, I hope you didn't get hurt!"

He shook his head. "No, no. I'm fine. Trust me."

"But what about the monsters?" the brunette asked, "Aren't they dangerous?"

"Of course they are," he said, earning a squeal from the girls, "but I handled them."

"Yay, Link!" they cheered in unison. I held back my annoyance and kept silent as they practically threw themselves all over the poor boy.

As soon as they pulled away to give him space, the blonde asked, "Since you're back now, why don't we play a round of the STAR game with Purlo!"

"I'd really like that, but…" Link started.

"But what?" she interrupted.

"I've got to escort her," he stated firmly, pointing at me, "to the castle."

An immediate sense of dislike poisoned the air and I met the two girls' gaze. Their eyes were full of hatred. I didn't know how to respond, so I just waved.

"Hi," I said, extending a hand, "My name's—"

"Yeah, I could care less what your name is," the brunette spat, swatting my hand away, "Link? Who's this? You told us that _we_ were the most important girls to you. You said that you would spend your time between quests with _us_. Are you trying to say that you lied to us?"

"No, I didn't say anything. She's just…um…" Link scrambled for the right words.

"Just what?"

"I'm his cousin," I intervened, "He's taking me to visit Castle Town and Hyrule Castle. Coming from the Ordona Province, I've never seen such a marvelous and rich town."

"You don't seem to look like Link," the brunette said suspiciously.

"Our relationship is complicated," I said, brushing over the subject.

For a moment, the girls just looked at me, like they were examining me. I tried to appear relaxed. For all they knew, I had nothing to hide from them. I was just an unknown girl that they had misjudged. Honestly, they didn't look like they could do much damage, and judging from what I did to those watchmen back in Kakariko Village, I'm sure I could take them on. But I didn't need anyone hating me.

"I guess it doesn't matter then," the brunette blurted out, breaking the silence. Squeezing Link in her tight embrace she said, "Don't forget to meet us at the STAR Game later!"

"We'll miss you!" the blonde chimed in, hugging Link immediately after her friend let go.

"I promise to come by later," Link assured them.

With a wave, the two girls giddily walked away.

As soon as they were out of earshot, I asked, "Who exactly were they?"

"Just some girls that always seem to find me when I visit Castle Town," Link shrugged.

"You don't know their names?"

"Well it's hard when the whole rest of their group is flocking you," he said defensively.

I snickered. "Poor you."

"At least you show some sympathy," he said, his tone full of sarcasm.

"It's only fair."

After that, the two of us continued down the street. Eventually, we made it to a central courtyard. A large fountain was placed in the middle of the area, and the townspeople sat and chatted on the outside rim. A large gate to our left was ajar, and two guards stood positioned on either side. Upon seeing us, they immediately nodded for us to enter. Inside there was a wide pathway leading up to another gate with even more guards were standing watch. They, too, motioned for us to head inside. After crossing over a bridge, we made it into a massive garden.

Trees lined the colossal walls that surrounded the castle, and two mazes made from hedges stood on either side of the garden. Three statues—one on the left, one in the middle, and one on the right—towered over me. Each statue was constructed of three metals poles that wrapped around each other like serpents. They spiraled upwards for about 30 feet until the two outside poles fanned out and the middle pole morphed into the mysterious symbol I had seen on my hand. The so-called "Triforce." A cobblestone pathway lead up to the grand entrance of the castle.

Without a word, Link pulled me down the path. About six guards stood at the entrance. I continued to walk forwards to push open the doors, but as soon as I neared it, the soldiers crossed their spears inches from my face. I could feel the wind from their weapons as they almost brushed my nose. I jumped back in surprise.

"No one enters without Princess Zelda's permission," the guard on the right boomed.

"But—" I started.

Link pulled me behind him and pointed a finger at the guard. "I am Link, the Hero of the Goddesses, and I demand entrance."

"What business do you have with the princess?" another guard questioned.

"She expects us to meet her in the throne room as soon as Maven, here, was ready," Link explained.

"The princess only meets with people when _she_ is ready," the guard stated, tightening his grip on the handle of his spear.

"Well she better be ready now," Link spat, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"How dare you—"

"Garvin!"

The guards spun around in shock to find a tall, thin woman heading towards them from the garden. Her expression was enough to tell that she was upset with them. She was dressed rather strange, with blue garbs decorated in gold patterns. Orange feathers hung from her belt, and she wore odd sandals that fanned out around her ankles like two funnels. A cloak wrapped around her upper torso, concealing her mouth and flapped around in the wind behind her like a cape. A single, long string of hair stuck out of her blonde hair, which was cut extremely close to her scalp. But the strangest part of her appearance were the tattoos on her face. On her forehead was an orange symbol depicting an eye with curled eyelashes and a single teardrop. Beneath her left eye was a large, white teardrop that extended halfway down her cheek.

"Y-yes, Impa?" one of the guards stuttered, bringing me back to reality.

"Why do you disrespect our guests? You should be familiar with Link by now," Impa scolded them harshly.

"Yes, but—"

"So then let them in."

The guard on the right swallowed and nodded before scurrying past her. The others followed suit, and with all their strength combined, they pushed the doors open.

"I apologize for the…inconvenience," Impa said, glaring at the guards. Then turning to me, she murmured, "Princess Zelda is most anxious to meet you."

"Anxious?" I asked.

"Yes. So we must go quickly," Impa said, heading inside the castle as she spoke.

Link jogged after Impa and waved for me to follow. Coming from a small village, I had only heard mere stories of Hyrule Castle. But now, I was inches from its entrance. Just the fact that I would actually meet with the princess, herself, left me at a loss for words. Full of questions, I had no choice but to follow them.

—

"Princess Zelda," Impa called, "Link and Maven have arrived."

The three of us walked through a large set of double doors and into a spacious room. A wide dark blue carpet led all the way up to a giant statue of female sprites surrounding a large, golden Triforce. At the base of the statue was a throne, and in the throne sat a woman. She wore a purple and white dress with golden jewelry adorning her head and clothes.

The woman's eyes widened, and she hurriedly stood and spread her arms wide. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle. I trust you had a safe trip here."

"Something like that," I said as I kneeled down before her.

A hand touched my shoulder and pulled me to my feet. "No need to bow, for it is I who should bow to you." With a smile, she slowly nodded her head to me.

"Thank you, but really, I'm not as important as a princess," I replied modestly.

"Yes, well, let's get to business," Zelda said. Turning to Link, she asked, "Have you explained anything to her about Hyrule's crisis?"

"Not much, but yes. Just a bit," Link answered.

"Good. That makes things a little easier," she said. Suddenly, her whole expression darkened and folded her hands. "There are only three beings in all of Hyrule that are marked by the Goddesses. These marks are each one piece of the Triforce. I, for instance, am marked with the Triforce of Wisdom." Raising the back off her fist to me, I could see a soft glow of the Triforce seep through her pearly white glove. "Link has the Triforce of Courage. And you have the Triforce of Power."

"The Triforce of Power?" I asked.

"Yes. It gives the holder a vast amount of strength—more powerful than any mortal could gain—and mystical powers. Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil, wielded its power before you, but now that he is no more, you are the next in line to take his place. However, I don't believe that your heart is corrupted with the evil that took over his. Instead, I believe that you and Link are the answer to saving Hyrule. By combining your forces, you can stop the twilight from taking the kingdom."

"And what about _you_? What are _you _going to do?" I questioned her.

"I will stay here, in the confines of my castle, and watch over my kingdom. It is far too dangerous for the three of us to be in one place, for the twilight could easily take all of our Triforce pieces. If all of our pieces are taken, it could mean the end of the world as we know it. So I trust in you, brave heroine, to aid Link in his quest and save Hyrule from its impending doom."

I closed my eyes and swallowed. This was too much to take in. I still wasn't sure yet whether I really wanted to be in this position, to be the savior of Hyrule. But I couldn't show a trace of fear, so I nodded and simply said, "I won't let you down, Princess Zelda."

"Good. Now that I've explained the main part of the reason that I've brought you here, I'd like to show you your accommodations. Tomorrow, I'll tell you all about your first destination. We have far too many questions and not enough answers," she said. With a small wave of her hand, two guards jogged over to her. "You two. Escort Maven to her room. You may fill her in on any details necessary for the night."

"Yes, Princess Zelda," they stated in unison. One of them took my hand. "Come, miss, this way."

"What about Link?" I asked, "Where's he going to stay?"

"Don't worry about me, Maven. I'll see you in the morning," Link called to me as I was led down a hallway.

_Right. Left. Left. Right. Left._

_Up. Down. Up. Up._

We walked in silence through empty corridors and up and down stairwells. Each hallway looked exactly the same as the next, as we continued past rows and rows of doors. Occasionally, we would pass a couple servants who would stop to bow their heads to me. I had no idea I was that well-known among the workers already. I just arrived here today, so they must've been expecting me. Soon, the guards halted in front of a wide door at the end of a long corridor.

"Here," one of them said, opening the door. Unlike Telma's bar, this room was much more luxurious. A large wardrobe stood in the far corner next to a polished, wooden desk. A window led to a balcony that overlooked the garden below. A large bed with a silk canopy took up the majority of the room.

"Thank you," I said to the guards as I entered the room.

Ignoring my thanks, the guard holding the door said, "As Princess Zelda informed you, you will learn more about your power tomorrow. In the meantime, you may explore the castle at your leisure."

Then without another word, they left, closing the door behind them. I threw myself down on the bed and sighed loudly. Pulling my dirty sleeves up, I examined the Triforce mark on my hand. The piece on top seemed to shine a little brighter than the other two. That must be my piece. The Triforce of Power. What kind of power would it give me? I had already gotten a little taste of it earlier. Honestly, I wasn't too keen on what those powers would be. But that was out of my hands. Sooner or later, I would have to find out.


	5. Chapter 5

The bright, blue sky, along with the blinding rays of the sun, filtered in through my window, casting a large portion of light onto the floor. Below, the trees and hedges in the garden rustled slightly with the gentle midsummer breeze. Marble and stone statues of angels were placed around the garden, giving off a safe and peaceful aura. I observed the beauty of the outside world from behind my grand window that arched all the way up to the ceiling. It had been an hour since I had first pulled the desk chair over to the window to stare out, and at this point, I had begun to grow bored.

Turning, I looked over towards the door leading out into the halls of Hyrule Castle. The guard that had escorted me here told me that I could explore a bit, but I didn't pay any mind to it. But now, I was starting to consider it. All I had been doing was staring out a window, and if I wanted the day to go by quickly, that was not the way to do it. I was more than anxious to hear what Princess Zelda had in store for me. And instead of obsessing over that and wasting my time, a walk around the castle wouldn't hurt.

Pushing myself up out of my chair, I dragged it back to its original place. I shook my head, trying to adjust my eyes to the darker part of the room. Heading over to the water basin, I attempted to rid myself of my hazy state by washing my face. But after toweling my skin dry, I realized it was useless. I'd just get lost in thought again later. I tend to do so when I'm alone. And with years of no true friends, except Tengoro and the other Gorons, I had become quite good at it.

As I exited the confines of my room, I entered a long hallway which split at both ends. I didn't know where I'd be going, so I just made an unconscious decision and went left. After that was easy. Most of the hallways only had one way to turn, but some forced me to make another decision. Knowing of the castle's size, I remembered to keep a mental record of whether I took a left or a right. On my way back, I'd just reverse the record and change the rights to lefts and the lefts to rights. It was a simple process for someone who had a good memory like me.

Not much was going on in the hallways. Servants and guests of the princess passed by, but never spoke to me or the people around them. Occasionally, I'd spot an open door, and peek inside. Most of the times it was either an empty room, or a guard was blocking me from looking at what was going on inside. Only once had I had a short moment to look inside a certain room.

I had been wandering the halls when I saw another open door ahead. No one seemed to be guarding it, so I assumed it was empty. But not having any other way forward, I decided to pass by it anyways. As I approached the door, a servant woman broke away from the traffic in the hallway and went inside. Intrigued, I snuck up to the door, and peered inside. Rows and rows of spindles covered the room, and a woman sat at each and every one. They were all hard at work, spinning cloth to make garments of all kinds. Some were starting from scratch, while others were simply repairing tears.

Suddenly, one of the women looked up from her work to see me standing right outside. With a frown, she stood and walked briskly over to me. I didn't even get a chance to say anything before she slammed the door on my face. Surprised, I backed away and regained my senses before continuing down the hallway.

Soon after, I came to another dead end. Except this time, there was a door at the end. I could just turn around and take another turn, but I was tired of walking through hallway after hallway to find nothing interesting. Curiosity often the better of me. Not that I cared much. I made my way over to the door, and without hesitation, I twisted the doorknob and pulled.

I stepped through to find myself standing on top of a wall, overlooking a courtyard. Women dressed in expensive clothing sat on stone benches under the shade of the many trees. A fountain with a marble fairy was placed in the middle, and the water spewing out of it glistened in the sunlight. But one thing stood out to me.

In the middle of it all was Zelda, accompanied by Link. They were strolling along the perimeter of the courtyard, talking about something. I jogged up to the edge of the wall and strained my ears to try to overhear their conversation. At first, I could only hear faint voices of all the people below. It was extremely hard to concentrate and pinpoint Zelda's voice out of the huge mess. But soon, as if something clicked inside me, the jumbled sounds morphed into clear words, so clear it was as if they were speaking in my head.

"…but you knew she wasn't the one I wanted. She isn't even the one. Garvin is." That voice was definitely Zelda's.

"I'm sorry, Zelda. But you know just as well as I do that she's—" Link apologized.

"I know what she is!" Zelda interrupted him, "But while she may be powerful, she can also be very dangerous. As much as I'd like to, I can't trust her."

"Zelda!"

"It's true!" she protested. Lowering her voice, she said, "Link, she is the bearer of the Triforce of Power. Do you know what that means?"

He sighed. "It means that she is Ganondorf's predecessor."

"Precisely. And I know she means well—I do—, but she was not chosen by the Goddesses," she said. Sighing loudly in frustration, she turned away from him. For a while, they just stood there. Without turning around, she murmured, "But what's done is done."

"Listen, I know that you're upset, but you've got to trust me a little bit, right? I've been doing this for a long time, and I know who's good and who's evil. And I know that she'll never betray us. _Never_," he assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" she breathed, "What if she turns on us? You don't know everything."

"But I know enough."

Zelda turned around to face him. She took his hand in hers and closed her eyes. "Link, I'm scared. I'm scared of the darkness, I'm scared of the fate of the kingdom, and I'm scared of losing you. You're our hero. My hero."

He looked down at their hands before shaking her off. Taking a step back he said, "I know. I am too." He exhaled harshly through his nostrils once before speaking again. "But Maven is here to stay. No matter what you want or say, she will fight with us."

Before she could say any more, Link turned and left her alone in the courtyard. Balling her fists up, she glared up towards the sky. Suddenly, her eyes snapped right in my direction. I dropped down into a crouch behind the wall's rim, hoping she didn't see me. But not once did she call me, and I heard her walk away. Her footsteps faded into nothing, and eventually, I was able to pick up all the other surrounding sounds again.

I stood up and checked the sky. It was starting to turn a darker blue color, indicating it was late afternoon. Sooner or later, I'd start to see the first sign of pink. I hoped to find my way back to my room before then. Hopefully, I didn't forget the turns I took.

* * *

By the time I got back, it had been about half an hour since I saw Zelda and Link in the courtyard. Pulling the door open, I was glad to be able to sit down and relax after my long walk. But instead of a nice quiet room, I found Zelda sitting the chair I was sitting in earlier by the window. She wasn't paying attention to the contents inside the room. As I stepped inside, the door clicked behind me, and I flinched. I don't know why I was so nervous. It wasn't like she was here to hurt me. Sure, she wasn't so keen on me helping her cause, but I knew she would never do something like that.

"It's beautiful out there, isn't it?" Zelda commented without breaking her gaze upon the land beyond.

"Yes. Very beautiful," I agreed.

Turning to me, she pointed to a tray on my desk. "Your dinner is here. A maid brought it in earlier."

_How did she get here so fast?_

"Oh" was all I could say as I grabbed the tray and sat down on my bed. Immediately, I dug into my food, ripping apart the meat and devouring the bread in large bites.

"You must be hungry after being unconscious after two whole weeks," she observed.

My mouth was too full to speak, so I just nodded. After swallowing, I wiped my mouth with the napkin resting in the corner of the wooden tray.

"What brings you here?" I asked her.

"I was waiting for you to ask that. And it's good that you did. It shows your interest in others," she said, "But that's not important. I've been thinking about your most _intriguing_ powers. With great power comes great responsibility, correct?"

"Correct…" I hesitantly answered.

"You're wary, aren't you? I assure you, there's nothing to be nervous about. I'm here to help." She let out a warm laugh.

"I guess you're right," I lied. I knew, for a fact, that she was getting at something. I wasn't as dimwitted as she thought I was. Her misunderstanding of me could be an advantage for me. I hate to side against her when we're both fighting for the same thing, but if she doesn't trust me, then I can't trust her.

"Indeed I am. Anyways, since you are connected with the Goddesses through their gift to you, have you been experiencing any sort of…visions?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked, concealing my shock. How could she possibly be suspicious of the vision I had?

"You know, like a dream. Premonition-like dreams," she said, "More specifically, one with a river spirit of some sort. It's important to tell me such things if you did have one."

I hesitated for a minute. Earlier, I didn't have the nerve to tell Link, but that was because I wasn't pressured to. Zelda _knew_. Was she testing me? Or was she simply curious? If I said yes would there be good or bad consequences? I had no way of knowing if my vision was a crime or another gift. If I lied and she found out, would I be punished? If I said no would that prove I wasn't really chosen? All these factors to consider made me queasy. Her intense stare didn't help me either. What should I say?

I placed my forefinger on my temple. "Let me think…Did I have any visions? Hm…"

Now was the moment of truth. Whatever I picked was what I was stuck with. Once I chose, I couldn't go back.

"No."

I looked at her, concealing my nervousness as I waited for a response.

_Did I choose right?_

"Hmm…" She looked at me without any further words and just sat there. It was almost like she was observing me. Straightening my back, I tried to match her challenging stare. Suddenly, she gave me a smug smile and chuckled.

"Good, good," she said. Standing, she proceeded towards the door, and as she left she called over her shoulder, "Have a lovely rest of your day, Maven."


End file.
